Comparison the Effect of Paper-based and Electronic Nursing Processes in Clinical Decision-making Skills of Nursing Students

Background: The nursing process is a way to develop medical students’ clinical decision-making skills and can be implemented on paper and electronically. The present study aimed to compare the effect of paper-based and electronic nursing processes in the clinical decision-making of nursing students. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was carried out on ۶۴ nursing students who were randomly classified into paper-based and electronic groups. The students were undergoing internships in the neurology and thorax departments of Ghaem Hospital in Mashhad, Iran. The intervention was comprised of a training workshop on the nursing process for the two groups. The participants were then asked to implement the nursing process using two methods (paper-based vs. electronic) for two weeks during the course. Every student was assigned to a patient daily and performed the nursing process after examining the patient according to their groups. Students were monitored during the process, and Luari’s clinical decision-making questionnaire was used before and after intervention in the two groups. Results: ۶۴ nursing students in equal group were participants. Clinical decision-making scores of the paper-based and electronic groups before and after intervention were ۶۵.۵ ± ۳.۲ vs. ۶۳.۳ ± ۳.۴ (range: ۲۴-۱۲۰), and ۷۲.۰ ± ۹.۲ vs. ۷۸.۸ ± ۱۱.۰, respectively. It means ۹.۹% and ۲۴.۲% improvements in the paper-based and electronic groups, indicating significant changes (p<۰.۰۵). Conclusion: The students’ clinical decision-making was improved considerably higher in the electronic group. The results showed that the electronic method facilitated the implementation of the nursing process and improved clinical decision-making skills and is thus suggested in teaching the nursing process.

کلیدواژه ها:

Clinical decision-making ، Iran ، Nursing Process ، Nursing ، Student